There is a large installed base of recessed down-lighting fixtures. However, with the move to solid state lighting, the fixtures in the precut ceiling holes must be removed and replaced with new hardware in the old holes to accommodate the more efficient luminaires and fixtures of the LED variety.
Thus, a need exists for an improved way to quickly and efficiently replace installed recessed down-lighting fixtures with solid state Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures/luminaires (hereinafter “LED luminaire”) in a variety of sizes of precut ceiling holes in a variety of ceiling thicknesses at the so-called ‘rough-in section’ and/or the ceiling hole left by the previous fixture.
While other retrofit systems have been proposed for example by U.S. Pat. No. 8,517,325, that proposed bracket has an adaptor band that needs a housing installed on the rough-in section to allow mounting of the retrofit assembly by torsion springs. Depending on the housing diameter the torsion receiver brackets of the adapter band can be less than or greater than 180° from one another. This can cause mounting difficulties for retrofit LED luminaires by causing the mounting to be off centered, which can result in non-uniform pull force through the torsion springs which need uniformity to keep the retrofit luminaire centered and flush against the ceiling. Also this adapter band must be secured with screws to the housing/frame. Depending on the fixture manufacturer this could cause excessive work as one might have to drill into the housing to properly mount the adaptor band.
Thus an easier and more economical method of retrofitting torsion spring suspended LED luminaires is desired.